Sustainability in 2023!

The idea of sustainability in fashion has been around for a while- certainly by 2019 I was hearing people say the word and sometimes talk about what it meant. Then,

“In 2021, the World Economic Forum identified the fashion industry and its supply chain as the world’s third-largest polluter. On average, it releases 10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions annually. Per year, the industry contributes 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. By the year 2030, it is predicted that total greenhouse gas emissions will increase by 50%.” (see Acespace.org here)

This was pretty shocking, but got some things moving. But then, of course, the pandemic… 

It looks like 2023 is the year for sustainability! 

How can the CIFA help everyone move towards a clean planet?

The French fashion company Marine Serre inspired me by their idea of “ecofuturism” in 2021…though I have a few things to say about relying mainly on recycled polyester materials. (Do you have a sustainability mission / circular goals statement?) 

Only natural fibers (wool, cotton, linen and silk) are biodegradable and will break down naturally over time, going back to the earth. 

BUT, I’m taking the idea of ECOFUTURISM and running with it. I started to visualize a completely clean future! No more new oil; no more new plastic. Economies of production are completely circular (see the Ellen MacArther Foundation). And, children have clean air, good health, and hope for the future. 

The newsletter and app Good On You is a great resource to see what brands are better for sustainability and other informative articles about various fabrics, companies, and practices. 

See this link on Fleece: https://goodonyou.eco/how-sustainable-is-fleece/

Fleece (and most other man-made fabrics) is terrible for the environment. It is a petroleum product. When you wash fleece, it sheds microfibers in the laundry that end up in the ocean creating a big sludge situation that can’t be captured because the fibers are so small! Please stop buying and washing fleece. 

But, do hold on to what you own. Keep it because it will last forever! Dare to get smelly?

I’m sure there will be updates as to what to do with it, as we get more advanced on how to live in a clean world. 

There is so much more attention to the environment now than there was even a year ago. We cannot ignore the signs of the climate emergency anymore: extreme weather, massive fires, ice storms in Texas, February Springtime in New York, etc. Remember the Girl Scout motto: “Be Prepared!”